Resilient wheel.



R. E. ARNGLD & O. P. HOCKETT. RESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911 1,021,440. Patented Mar. 26,1912.

2 SIHEETS-SHEET 1.

I 311 1 uc u-l'om Wikueooam I a MW 1 R. E. ARNOLD 8: O. P. HOCKETT RESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION-FILED JUNE 29,1911.

Patented Mar. 26, 19121 2 SHEETS-.QHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oirrion.

REX E. ARNOLD AND CLARKSON P. HOCKETT, 0F KOUltS, INDIANA.

BESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent,

tented Mar. 26. 1912.

Application filed June 29, 1911.. Serial No. sashes To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that: we, Rux E. Aurelio and (lLAnnsoN l."-. lloonn'r'r, citizens of the United States, residing at Kouts. in the county of Porter and State of Indiana. have. invented certain new and'usetul Improvements in Resilient \Vheels, of which the following is a SIJtClfiCtlliOTl.

The present iii' vent-ion relates to resilient vehicle wl'ieels and the primary object. of the invention is to improve the cmistruction of the wheel on Which we obtained Letters Patent No. 994,297 dated June (l, 1911.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide improved spring spokes for yieldahly connecting thehuh and the rim, each spoke gradually decreasing in thickness toward its middle point in order to possess a maximum degreeof resiliency, and gradually increasing in width toward s aid niddlc pointto compensate for the decrease in thickness and thus insure against spring being unduly weakened.

With these and other objects in View, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain constructions, arrangements and combina tions of the parts that We shall. hereinafter fully describe and claim.

' vFor a full imderstandingef the invention, reference is'to be had to the following description end accompanying drawings, in which:

. Figure l is; a side elevation of the-wheel, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transversesection on the line 22 -'of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one face plates. 1

of thespokes'deta'che Fig-ris anend view of the hub Figs isa detail perspective View of one of the rim-engaging blocks; Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the block Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views? of the accompanying drawings by the some reference characters;

The Wheel coijnpr'isesa huh 1, a rim 2, and a plurality of spring spokes 3, the spokes being in the form of bars of steel or other suitable metal. The spokes are all snhstan tial duplicates and hence only one of the same will. be specifically described; The spoke has approximately radially disposed end portions which are 'formed at their terminals with transversely extending cylindrical headsfi, and which are securely" attached to the huh and the rim in a manner to he Iwreinatter deserilied. The interinediate portion (5 of the spring spoke is bowed, as shown. so as to enable the spoke to yield freely in a radial direction in the operation 1 the wheel. The spoke preferably tapers gradually in thickness from its ends toward its middle point for the purpose of increas ing'the resiliein'y ot' the bowed intermediate portion 6. To compensate for the variation in the thickness of the spoke. the intermediate portion 6 gradually increased in Width from its juncture With the end portions 4- to its. n'iiddle poin thereby rendering the spoke of greatest th at the point Where it is thinnest: and preventing the spoke from being unduly weakened at this point.

The spokes are preferably.arranged in two sets, the spokes of the respective sets being located at the opposite sides of the wheel andheing inclined from the ends of the hub toward the plane of the rim. lor responding spokes of these sets are secured to the huh and the rim in transverse alinement, while their intermediate portions (5 are reverselfy bowed so as to face in opposite circular directions,

The sets or" spokes are secured to the hub in transversely spaced relation by means of an n'ular peripheral flanges 7 outstanding from the ends of the hub. Each flange is formed with a series of radially disposed socket-s 8 opening outwardly through its perig'ihery as shown in. Fig. 2, for the reception of the inner end portions 4 of the spokes of one set, the flange and the sockets being inclined at the same angle as the spokes. The sockets also open outwardlythrough the outer face of the flange in order to permit the-spokes to be readily inserted lH ])0Sli.iOI1 from the corresponding side of the wheel. At their inner ends, that. is, their ends remote from the periphery of the flange, the sockets are. formed. with cylindrical.enlargements 9 in which the heads 5 are seated to in-went the spokes from li'ieing Withdrawn from the flange in a radial direction. To retain the spokes against lateral displacement from the sockets, an annular cover plate It) is titted against the outer face otthe flange and is detachahly secured thereto by screws or other suitable. fastening devices 11.

.The connections between the spokes and the rim are eli'ected through the medium of a series of coupling blocks 12 which are so cured to the rim at regular intervals and n which i equal in number to half: the total 1 rim by suitable fastening devices 13. In-

.lie flush .With the outer edge of the spoke the open side of the socket atace plate 1? number of spokes in the Wheel, this number of blocks being entirely suiiicicnt. since each l block is adapted to receivetwo spokes. Each block has its outer face longitudinally curved to fit the inner surface of the rim 2, and is rigidly secured at its ends ,to the tel-mediate of its ends the block is formed on its inner face with a transversely disposed boss 14 of substantially semrcylindrical "form, the boss being provided with a pair of separate transversely spacedsockets- 15 that extend radially with respect to the center of the wheel and accommodate the outer end portions 4 of corresponding spokes of the two sets. These sockets are substantially similar to the sockets 8 of the hub flanges and have cylindrical enlargements 16 at their ends adjacent to the rim for the reception of the heads 5, the sockets being inclined similarly to the spokes and open ing outwardly at opposite sides of the'boss to permit the spokes to be inserted laterally therein. The coupling block is recessed or undercut on each side, as indicated at 17, to provide a longitudinal shoulder 18 which extends throughout the entire length of the block and faces toward the center of the wheel, the block having its side face inclined inwardly from said shoulder so as to fitted in the corresponding socket. To close is fitted in the recess 17 and against the undercut face of the coupling block and is secured. to the block by bolts 20 or the like, the bolts preferably passing entirely .of the block.

The Wheel is completed by a cushion tire ll of solid rubber or other suitable material or substance, that encircles the rim 2'and is preferably detaehably mounted thereon by means of a relatively broad olencher rim 22.

Having thus described the invention, What we claim. as new is:

1. A spring spoke-gradually decreasing in thickness from its ends toward an intermediate point, and gradually increasing in width toward saidpoint tocornpensate for the decrease in thickness.

9 A spring spoke gradually decreasing'in thickness from its ends toward an mterme in testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EEK E. All-twill). Chill-K501i P. HOCKJTT. \Vitnesses:

Jenn lVULF, Jenn G. Bunnie. 

